Anyone wanting proof that a big project can finish ahead of schedule, under budget, and at the highest level of safety need only look at the success of the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation’s Marquette Interchange reconstruction.

The four-year, $810-million project, completed in 2008, finished three months ahead of schedule, $10 million to $15 million under budget, and without a single fatality or critical injury. Its economy, speed, and safety have made it the model for every Wis-DOT mega project since.